Like many individuals before him, Vince Young was drafted to the NFL with the expectation that he'd flourish into a superstar. He had all the tools, was a gifted athlete and seemed to revel in the spotlight.
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Despite all he had going for him, Young could never quite figure things out as a professional football player and was out of the league after less than six seasons of service.
While his NFL career didn't pan out as expected, Young has moved on with his life and is focusing on the present rather than the past.
So, what is the former Texas Longhorns star doing these days?
Early Life
Vince Young grew up in Houston, Texas, where he was raised by his mother, Felicia Young, and his grandmother. His father was absent for much of his childhood while serving out a prison sentence for a burglary conviction.
Young played high school football at Madison High School, where he drew significant attention from colleges after recording nearly 13,000 all-purpose yards across three seasons.
College Career
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After his stellar high school career, Vince Young took his talents to Austin to play quarterback for the University of Texas under head coach Mack Brown.
As a redshirt freshman in 2003, Young was splitting snaps with fellow Longhorns QB Chance Mock. On the year, Young threw for six touchdowns and seven interceptions while rushing for 998 yards and 11 touchdowns.
He stepped into the spotlight in 2004, taking the starting quarterback position for himself. Young led the Longhorns to an 11-1 record and a Rose Bowl victory. That season, Young rushed for over 1,000 yards and 14 touchdowns. Via the air, Young tossed 12 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
The 2005 campaign is when Vince Young truly cemented his legacy at the University of Texas and in college football history. Young and the Longhorns went undefeated during his redshirt junior season and earned a ticket to the BCS National Championship Game, a Rose Bowl matchup against the USC Trojans.
13 years ago today: @TexasFootball. USC Trojans. Vince Young. End Zone.
"[The 2006 @rosebowlgame has to] be the greatest championship performance of all time in college football..." pic.twitter.com/mg2PFN1nGq
— NFL (@NFL) January 4, 2019
In what was one of the most enthralling football games in history, Young accumulated 467 total yards and scored three touchdowns, including the game-winning touchdown run with 19 seconds left in the fourth quarter to lift the Longhorns over the Trojans.
The national champion was named 2006 Rose Bowl MVP for his performance, capping off his prolific season that saw him finish runner-up for the Heisman Trophy behind USC star running back Reggie Bush.
NFL Career
The Houston kid's first visit home as an NFL quarterback.
And Vince Young capped it off in spectacular fashion.
12 years ago today. #TDIH @Titans pic.twitter.com/8gxRKXrH7a
— NFL Throwback (@nflthrowback) December 11, 2018
Quarterback Vince Young was a hot commodity heading into the 2006 NFL Draft, and he was scooped up by the Tennessee Titans in the first round with the third-overall pick.
He got off to a decent start to life in Nashville and was named the 2006 Offensive Rookie of the Year and earned a Pro Bowl nod after throwing 12 touchdowns and 13 takeaways while rushing for 552 yards and seven scores. The Titans went 8-5 in his 13 starts that year, but they finished 8-8 overall and missed the playoffs.
For all that Young was as a mobile quarterback, he lacked as a pocket passer. In his second year in the league, that was on full display.
Young threw just nine touchdown passes in 2007 and was picked off 17 times. He was less effective on the ground as well, recording just 395 yards and three touchdowns. Young and the Titans snuck into the playoffs in the AFC after defeating the Indianapolis Colts in Week 17 but were ousted in the first round by the Chargers.
After missing most of 2008 with a knee injury and subsequent benching in favor of Kerry Collins, Young was named the 2009 Comeback Player of the Year and earned his second Pro Bowl bid after leading the Titans to an 8-2 record across 10 starts.
In 2010, Young suffered an injury to his right thumb during a Week 11 clash against the Washington Redskins. Head coach Jeff Fisher opted to keep him on the sideline rather than bring him back into action.
After the game, Young and Fisher reportedly got into a heated altercation and the quarterback was benched. He was released in early January 2011.
After his release from the Titans, Young bounced around to the Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers, Buffalo Bills and Cleveland Browns but never managed to find a long-term home.
He played his last snap in the NFL as a member of the Eagles in 2011.
Vince Young Now
After officially retiring from football in 2014, Young returned to Austin, working at the University of Texas in its Division of Diversity and Community Engagement. He held that role until 2019 when he was fired by the university for repeated absences and poor job performance.
In January 2014, Vince Young filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy despite the lofty earnings he made in his NFL career and through endorsements. Young made over $35 million as an NFL quarterback, and he had lucrative endorsement deals with companies like Reebok, Campbell's Soup, Vizio and was even a cover athlete for EA Sports' Madden 08. He told Sports Illustrated that he "didn't keep close tabs on his finances during his career, trusting the management of his money to a financial advisor and his uncle."
Young has been arrested twice since his retirement, the first for a DWI in Austin in 2016 and the second for a DWI in Fort Bend County in 2019.
In 2017, Young tried to mount a football comeback, signing a contract with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the CFL. Young sustained a hamstring injury during training camp in the offseason and was waived shortly after.
Young earned a great honor in 2019 when he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. Young's Hall of Fame class included former NC State wide receiver Torry Holt, ex-Patriots and Florida State DB Rickey Dixon, and former Arizona State and Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jake Plummer.
Now 37 years old, Young's retirement life has had its ups and downs, but these days the former quarterback is just trying to make sure his story is told.
Young recently sat down with ESPN's Scott Van Pelt and revealed he had both a book and documentary about his life in the works, as he aims to tell his story from his perspective.
Return to Texas in 2021
I see everyone is hearing the news that CDC has me working for our Longhorns. So happy to be able to help him out as well as everyone in the Athletic Department, share my knowledge and experiences, reach out in the community and serve the school I love! You know I Bleed Orange!🤘🏿
— VY (@VinceYoung10) February 2, 2021
In 2021, it was announced that UT hired Vince Young as a special assistant to Longhorns athletic director Chis Del Conte. The gig will pay him $100,000 per year, according to NBCDFW.
Vince Young bleeds orange and it's awesome to see him back at the school where he began his legacy.
This post was originally published on November 14, 2020.
